News Desk
Multan, Pakistan – May 14, 2024
In a concerted effort to address the pervasive issue of bonded labor in Pakistan, the Voice of Voiceless organization took a significant step by providing educational resources to children working under exploitative conditions at a brick kiln near Ibn-e-Cina hospital NLC Pass in Multan.
The initiative, spearheaded by Mr. Hyacinth Peter, the executive director of the organization, saw the distribution of books, notebooks, school bags, and stationery to children who were trapped in bonded labor. Additionally, one student pursuing a diploma in Electrical Engineering received a tool kit to support his educational endeavors.
Pakistan’s standing as the eighth-ranked country in the Global Slavery Index underscores the severity of labor exploitation and bondage within its borders. It is estimated that approximately 3,186,000 individuals are ensnared in modern slavery, with a significant portion comprising children.
Despite legislative measures such as The Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act 2016, which prohibits child labor at brick kilns, enforcement remains lax, allowing the exploitation to persist. Shockingly, recent surveys reveal that around 4.5 million people, including 1 million children, endure slave-like conditions in the country’s brick kilns.
The failure to enforce minimum wage laws, coupled with soaring inflation rates, exacerbates the plight of bonded laborers, rendering them unable to afford education for their children. Consequently, generations remain trapped in a cycle of illiteracy and exploitation, perpetuating the vicious cycle of bonded labor.
While the Punjab Government is yet to unveil a concrete policy for enrolling the ten million out-of-school children, the urgent need to establish educational facilities, both by the government and brick kiln owners, cannot be overstated. Education, enshrined as a fundamental right under Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973, is essential for breaking the chains of bonded labor and empowering marginalized communities.
The distribution of educational materials elicited hope among brick kiln laborers, who expressed a keen desire to send their children to school. They urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to consider establishing Danish Schools specifically catering to the needs of the impoverished children of brick kiln laborers.
In the face of adversity, initiatives like those undertaken by the Voice of Voiceless organization serve as beacons of hope, illuminating the path towards a future free from the shackles of bonded labor, said the presser.